Jason Murray's Insights

Explore practical insights and leadership perspectives from BES on talent strategy, organizational performance, and future-ready teams.

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Professional Development/Jason Murray
From Competent to Compelling: Six Tips for Elevating Your Leadership
In this article, Jason Murray offers six practical and personal strategies for individuals who want to deepen their impact as a leader and grow in their leadership abilities with intention. Rather than focusing on titles or external validation, he emphasizes the importance of building confidence through experience, developing a clearly articulated leadership identity, and cultivating the emotional intelligence required to lead others well. He reminds readers that leadership is not about having all the answers but about staying flexible, curious, and anchored in service.
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Industry Trends/Jason Murray
Reading the Room: How Chairs Steer Committees Toward Stronger Hires
In this article, Jason Murray explores the nuanced dynamics that can shape hiring outcomes when search committees are involved. He outlines practical strategies for Hiring Managers and Committee Chairs to cultivate structure, promote balanced participation, and avoid common pitfalls. Drawing from years of experience in executive search, Jason offers tools to help leaders ‘read the room’ and ensure that decision-making processes lead to thoughtful, equitable, and successful hires.
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Industry Trends/Jason Murray
Beyond the Org Chart (Part II): The Critical Questions Leaders Must Ask During Onboarding
Effective leadership begins with questions, not answers. In Part I, we explored how new leaders can build trust and uncover hidden dynamics by asking who truly holds influence and what people are afraid to say. In Part II, we turn to questions that help leaders align with the organization’s true definition of success, understand the legacies they inherit, and lead with intention. These questions are essential for building credibility, advancing inclusion, and laying the foundation for sustainable leadership.
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Industry Trends/Jason Murray
Beyond the Org Chart (Part I): Critical Questions for Leaders During Onboarding
The early days of an executive’s tenure are filled with promise and pressure—it’s a time of introductions, immersion, and inevitable information overload. While most onboarding processes focus on organizational charts, strategic priorities, and compliance, the most successful leaders know that the real work lies beyond what's written down. They understand that every organization—no matter how structured on paper—has its own ecosystem of relationships, histories, and unspoken truths. This article outlines two critical questions new leaders must ask to decode the visible and invisible dynamics that shape organizations—and to lead with clarity, integrity, and inclusion.
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Talent Acquisition/Jason Murray
Tips for Landing the Candidate: What Every Employer Must Know Once the Decision’s Made
In this article, Jason Murray explores the pivotal final phase of executive and senior leadership recruitment: converting your chosen candidate into a confirmed hire. He outlines nine high-impact practices that go beyond negotiation tactics and into the realm of leadership stewardship—ensuring the offer stage reflects the values, clarity, and credibility of your organization. Designed for hiring teams, executives, and search partners, this article serves as a timely reminder that the way you close sets the tone for everything that follows.
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EDIA/Jason Murray
A Defence of EDIA: Speaking Points for Advocates Looking to Defend the Work
As public discourse grows more polarized and organizations face pressure to retreat from equity commitments, leaders must be prepared to speak clearly and practically about the value of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA). This article offers a strategic reframing of EDIA—not as a moral obligation, but as an essential operating discipline. It provides decision-makers with language to defend the work, insights to ground it in daily practice, and a reminder that EDIA, when done well, is not only ethically sound—it is operationally wise.
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Thought Leadership Videos

Watch recent thought leadership videos on inclusive leadership, workplace culture, and transformation.

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Why Confidence Stops Working at Executive Level

When interviewing for jobs at the executive level, confidence is expected—and so it’s no longer a differentiator. In this short, Jason Murray shares tips on what executive hiring committees are listening out for, which includes evidence of sound judgment and being able to navigate ambiguity.

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The Interview Mistake Strong Leaders Make

When interviewing for executive roles, strong delivery is expected—so it’s no longer what sets you apart. In this short, Jason Murray shares a common mistake leaders make: answering like high performers instead of future peers.

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What Executive Presence Actually Is

In this short, Jason Murray breaks down why hiring committees look for calm, clarity, and restraint, and how presence often comes through in what you don’t say.

Sustainability/Stephanie La

Green AI: The Role of AI in Sustainability

Green AI emphasizes the importance of balancing innovation with environmental responsibility, addressing the significant environmental and ethical challenges posed by AI development, such as high carbon emissions, energy consumption, and data privacy concerns. While AI offers transformative benefits, including climate change prediction, pollution monitoring, and public health insights, its rapid advancement often prioritizes speed over sustainability. By adopting Green AI practices—such as energy-efficient algorithms, renewable energy sources, and sustainable development goals—organizations can reduce their environmental impact, align with sustainability objectives, and foster long-term growth while contributing to a more sustainable and equitable future.

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Leadership/Melissa Sumnauth

The Importance of Pronouncing a Name: An Act of Inclusive Leadership

Names are not just labels; they are powerful reflections of identity, culture, and history. In this article, Melissa Sumnauth explores the significance of correct name pronunciation in leadership and organizational culture. Drawing on her experience in executive coaching, executive search, facilitation, and people & culture she illustrates how mispronunciation can function as a microaggression and a barrier to inclusion, while intentional effort to say names correctly fosters dignity, belonging, and trust. With practical tools and a call to action for leaders, this article reframes name pronunciation as a vital practice in advancing equity and respectful engagement.

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Jason Murray's Insights

All Posts

From Competent to Compelling: Six Tips for Elevating Your Leadership

Reading the Room: How Chairs Steer Committees Toward Stronger Hires

Beyond the Org Chart (Part II): The Critical Questions Leaders Must Ask During Onboarding

Beyond the Org Chart (Part I): Critical Questions for Leaders During Onboarding

Tips for Landing the Candidate: What Every Employer Must Know Once the Decision’s Made

A Defence of EDIA: Speaking Points for Advocates Looking to Defend the Work

Thought Leadership Videos

Why Confidence Stops Working at Executive Level

The Interview Mistake Strong Leaders Make

What Executive Presence Actually Is

Green AI: The Role of AI in Sustainability

The Importance of Pronouncing a Name: An Act of Inclusive Leadership